Monday, June 17, 2013

A Ghost Town

Is this a photo of a ghost town? No. It was taken at about 3:00 PM on an overcast Sunday in about 1977. The view is of Seventh Avenue facing West 18th Street, which is the area known as Chelsea. There is not a person to be seen. Today, if you visit Chelsea... the streets are very congested with traffic, and you can hardly walk without bumping into people. The sidewalks are peppered with outdoor cafes.

The old building on the left was once a horse stable and in the 80s through the 90s it was Le Madri restaurant. There was a big fight over landmarking that building on the left, but now it is becoming "The Yves." I live right across the street, and I am watching it going up. It's all blue-tinted sculptured glass, with a rooftop pool, and apartments that are going for up to six million dollars. I will share the same neighborhood, same view... and the irony is that we will all go down to the same street and smell the same garbage and dog poop. Welcome to the neighborhood!